Yes, Bill that is a football. When you have it you should try to move it forward. West Virginia came into today's game with Syracuse as a 24 point favorite. But somehow managed to keep the game much closer. The Mountaineers pulled away late thanks to a 92 yard run by Noel Devine to win 17-6. However, for most of the game, Bill Stewart willed his offense to three and out after three and out.
Coming into the season, Stewart was quick to poke fun at former West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez and his love of the bubble screen. A play that drew the ire of Mountaineer fans for it's lack of production. But today, with Jarrett Brown filling in for the injured Pat White, West Virginia threw more bubble screens than I can count. Unfortunately for the Mountaineers, the results were the same. Mostly with little or no gain. On top of his love of a play that should be used as a change of pace rather than a staple, slow developing sweeps dominated the play calling.
The Syracuse defense was more than willing to load up on the edges and just wait for the ball carrier. Allowing Syracuse to outgain the Mountaineers 346-268 in total yards. At one point during the first half, West Virginia fans began booing the play calling. And the boo birds didn't stop until the late run by Devine.
Not to take anything away from Syracuse. They came to play and really dominated in just about every way but the score board. But West Virginia was completely predictable on offense outside of a couple gadget plays that lost more yards than they gained. And in the middle of it all, Bill Stewart rarely had his headset on and actually spoke to anyone even less. He looked to very much be a spectator on the sidelines rather than a first year coach having way more trouble than he should with a slumping Syracuse team. And that translated very well into the kind of day the Mountaineer offense had.
Greg Robinson wasn't without his head scratching moments, though. Late in the third quarter, down 7-6, Syracuse went for it just inside the 50 yard line on fourth and three. In a game that was all about field position, Syracuse gave West Virginia the ball at midfield. A decision that turned into an easy field goal for WVU. Then with the game 10-6 West Virginia, Syracuse drove the ball inside the Mountaineer 10 yard line. On third and eight with about four minutes on the clock, Syracuse called a sweep to the short side of the field that failed miserably. Forcing a forth down pass play that was swatted down.
My eyes are bleeding a little bit from watching this game. I believe offensive football was set back decades for anyone that watched.
Comments (Page 1 of 1)
How dare Coach Stewart think that the West Virginia Fans were booing Jared Brown, we were booing him and his offensive coordinator. How stupid are you?
Coach Stewart's comments show how out of touch he is. The booing is for him exclusively. Jarrett Brown is a great kid. We have exceptional talent on our team. We have unfortunately Bill Stewart as our head coach. He has no idea what he is doing and with this level of talent, we should be playing much better. Something is seriously wrong in Morgantown!!
you people make me sick what did you expect of course we are going to have a few growing pains while this new staff gells with the team a defense that has 8 new starters and keeps giving up first downs if the offense is going to score they have to have the ball this offense looked pretty good against one of the best defenses in the country in auburn i think they are coming into thier own at just the right time in the season if they continue to play like this we could conceivably win out be 10-2 ranked in top ten win the big east and be right back in the bcs then every one of you crybabies would be on here talking about how you supported stew and mullen all along we do not need you fair weather fans pat white has nothing but good things to say about stew and mullen and thats good enough for me i dont think we need to fire a coach who is 6-2 with wins over ou and au give the man a chance for gods sake he has assembeled one of the finest coaching staffs in the country instead of bashing the coaches we need to start honoring pats final season in motown he is only the best to ever wear the old gold and blue
We need a new coach&offensive coordinator.Its only going to get worse not better.Auburn 35 WVU 10
So maybe you'd like Rich Rod back....What if WE paid YOU four million to take him back. Gawd,,,we lost to fricking Toledo.
We were definitely not booing our players they only did what they were told, too bad our horrible OC was telling them some pretty dumb things, what a bunch of idiots
PLEASE GET US A COACH
Seriously, you can have Rich Rod back. He's destroyed the winningest program in college football, made sure no one will be recruited to Michigan for the next ten years, and even gotten beaten by MAC teams. For God's sake, take him back and KEEP the four mil.
u guys at michigian wanted him you got him so you can keep him and the basketball coach
Seriously, maybe you guys should take Rich Rod back. We'll even let you KEEP the four mill. My God, we even lost to Toledo, That's a MAC team! He's gonna screw up recruiting for decades. Up until this idiot, we had forty-four straight bowl appearances, and that's DESPITE the fact that for a long time the Big Ten had a one bowl per confrence rule. Really, you guys should get him back.. really.
Settle down, Steve. We lost 8 game Rod's first year at WVU. Including a game to Temple. TEMPLE! Temple was way worse than any MAC team dreamed of at that point in time. Rodriguez will turn things around quickly. Write this season off and watch out next year....
Doc Holiday should be the Coach, let coach Stewart coach the receivers or something else. Send Jeff Mullens back to Wake Forest. What is WVU waiting for, another year of Stewart and we would be lucky to beat Temple.
My season tickets are up, close to the press box. About a dozen times during the Syracuse game, the entire section stood up (hundreds of people), turned around to face the press box, and booed Mullen who calls the plays from the press box. This happed consistently throughout the game. I think we need to petition this coaching staff out. Casteel is doing a good job. The rest, need to go...especially Stewart. A solid source told me recently that the coaches this year are all nice guys...but not winners. The intensity apparently isn't what it was when Dick Rod was here. Vote Stewart out.
Dick Rod is right. Please take this program buster back Donkey cajones! He's ruining the winningest program in college football history. What is the definition of insanity? Repeating the same mistake over and over and over, getting the same result, but expecting a different result. He blows
I'm having a painful flashback to the Frank Cignetti "era". Frank was a great guy, too, just like Stew, but he was way over his head in D-1 football. It didn't help he had to replace Bobby Bowden, too. Too many scary similarities here!
Well, well, well, maybe our coaches aren't so bad after all. We have a new offensive line, lost most of our defense, have no fullback, a new coaching staff, yet we beat Auburn on national TV despite two interceptions in the first half by Pat White. Maybe we need to see what will happen by the end of the season.
Puleeeeeze, Take Dick Rod back, keep all the Money and we'll send more. This butt-head has ruined the best running record in college football. He's ruining a tremendous tradition and program. We left him gold to work with and he's leaving sh*t all over the field.
OK WVU have you had enough of Bill Stewart and Jeff Mullens, the fans have, they have ruined a perfectly good football team. Stewart and Mullens couldn't Coach a NAIA team much less then a FBS team. Give us a break and raise Doc Holliday up to Coach and let him get his staff in order and maybe we can salvage the WV football program. NEVER let players vote for a Coach, you see what we got.